In a major departure from their earlier stand, leaders across Ladakh have unanimously asked Centre to grant full statehood with legislature for the region- a common call endorsed by leadership of both Kargil and Leh regions.
The demand was raised on Sunday, four days before the second anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019. The leaders from the two regions – otherwise holding contrarian views on important issues – met for the first time and called for full statehood and guarantees under Article 371 – a kind of a special autonomy.
The new demand is surprising given that the Leh region had earlier celebrated the move by New Delhi to end the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and dismember it into two Union Territories on August 5, 2019. People in Leh and not Kargil had then burst crackers for being made a UT- a demand that has been simmering in the Buddhists Leh for decades.
The leaders at the meet rejected domicile and sought safeguards to the land, jobs, culture and languages for the locals – a similar kind of demand that is resonating in Jammu and Kashmir.
They also called for separate legislature besides two seats for Lok Sabha from the region. The August 5 move had made Ladakh a UT but without a legislature. The purpose ostensibly is that Ladakh region wants to make its own laws for the region.
The leaders addressed a joint press conference after the meeting under the banner of Apex Committee of Peoples Movement of Ladakh chairperson Thupstan Chhewang and the Kargil Democratic Alliance Co-Chairman Asgar Ali Karbali.
“We need protection for land and jobs under Article 371 or under the sixth schedule of the Constitution,” Karbali said. He said two parliamentary seats should be given to the region. “We will negotiate with the Union Government around these very issues and demands,” Karbali said.
Earlier the Ladakh political groups had sought Sixth Schedule for the Ladakh. They had held a meeting with the Home Minister too. However, this time they have sought statehood for Ladakh instead of the sixth schedule, taking the demand few notches up. So far, New Delhi has given no indication that it was listening.
While Leh leaders kept on flitting on its demands, their Kargil counterparts like the Gupkar Allaince have been insisting on restoration of Article 370. One prominent body named Kargil Democratic Allaince like the Kashmir parties has in fact filed a petition before the Supreme Court against abrogation of Article 370.
And the coming together of leaders of Leh and Kargil on a common platform is being seen as a major departure since both the parties had held contrarian views on issues relating to Jammu and Kashmir. Sajad Kargili, a prominent leader from Kargil, said Sunday meeting was very significant since the leaders have unanimously asked for statehood and autonomy for the region.
“This is a watershed movement. People in Kargil were not for UT status but Leh was. But now they have realised that union territory was not empowering people. So they too have asked for full statehood,” he said, adding Kargil leadership supports this demand though it hasn’t given up on the demand of restoring Article 370.
When J&K special status was scrapped, people in Leh had welcomed the move and Kargil protested it.
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